Your Lockdown Lowdown

Yes, it’s update time again…and once again, a lot of changes have been happening in countries across the world. Here are all of the movers and shakers:

• India has relaxed its entry requirements for fully vaccinated travellers, removing the need for quarantine: fresh arrivals will take a PCR test ahead of their flight, complete a self-declaration form, and then ‘self-monitor’ their own health.
• Canada has taken a similar approach. Fully vaccinated travellers, as of 28th February, will be able to take an antigen test rather than a PCR test ahead of their flight. (Random COVID tests will be in place at the airport, however.)
• Japan has also announced that it intends to begin easing its border restrictions from March. (But don’t start planning for the cherry-blossom season just yet - the changes will be incremental, and students will gain access to the country long ahead of travellers.)
• Similarly, in Australia, the states of New South Wales and Victoria are set to lift their restrictions on indoor events and activities - and their mask mandates are due to end on 1st March.
• In Europe, France, Finland and Norway have all continued to ease their requirements for travellers.
• The outlier is Spain, which has chosen to extend its current restrictions for arrivals from Europe.

Meanwhile, the Telegraph has been having a bit of a rant about the bane of many of a COVID-era traveller’s existence… the passenger locator form.

Teenage Trips (Right Through The Night)

More than a few of you wonderful Detour readers have asked for an article that covers the best places across the world to visit with older kids or teenagers.

We have to admit - it’s a tricky one. How do you find somewhere that’s 1) fun and varied enough to keep older children engaged, 2) gives them space to go off by themselves (safely) and 3) doesn’t lead to accusations of ‘lame’ or ‘cringe’ or whatever the kids are saying these days?

We’ve had a think - and these are our top tips. Drop us a line at [email protected] if you have any more!

#1: Lisbon

Beaches? Check. Cool street art and exciting, winding avenues to explore? Check. A bustling foodie scene? Most definitely check. A safe, welcoming city in one of the world’s friendliest countries? Está certo.

Lisbon’s brilliance comes from the way it strikes the perfect balance. It’s historic, but it has a trendy, graffiti-strewn buzziness to it. It’s safe - just as with any city, remind your kids to keep an eye on their belongings - but it doesn’t feel like you’re trapped in a theme park. It’s family-friendly, but there are plenty of other young people about. (In 2018, the city was voted one of the world’s top 20 destinations for younger travellers.)

Top tips

For the teen who’s a picky eater - head to the Time Out Market near the waterfront. You may balk at your kids opting for pizza over ceviche, but this lively internationalist market actually contains a ton of trendy stalls serving authentic Portuguese cuisine (including a few Michelin-star recipes.)

If you don’t fancy the crowds, just take the 30-minute stroll eastwards to see the magnificent São Jorge castle and then come and pick your kids up afterwards.

In general, Lisbon’s a city that features a ton of laid-back and quirky dining spots that won’t leave your kids squirming in their seats - we’d recommend the Jam Club, which features regular live concerts, and Mini Bar, with its experimental menu of trendy mini-bites.

Then to the beach, and boy, do you have options - just hop on the 30-minute train from Lisbon to the conveniently-located seaside town of Cascais and go from there.

For surfing, windsurfing, or kitesurfing, stop off at the famous Guincho beach. (There are plenty of well-regarded instructors.) For surf ‘n’ turf, take a break at Bubbles and Bites.

For the best views, head to the stunning Adraga Beach (the nearby restaurant serves ‘percebes’, or barnacles, which are awesomely plucked from the caves of the beach itself.)

And while this recommendation isn’t suitable for kids, we're going to pause here and give a shout-out to the anonymous Detour reader who asked us for nudist beach recs - Meco Beach is a popular, historic and beautiful choice for nudists (just watch out for the strong westerly winds).

If you absolutely insist on fitting a bit of culture and history into your trip, there’s no better choice for you and your kids than the nearby hills of Sintra.

A magnificent national park of pine trees created by a unique micro-climate? Moorish castles and palaces? A mysterious Gothic mansion that’s packed with hidden underground passages, gargoyles, and secret Masonic chambers? Even the most jaded of teens is going to struggle to find that boring.

#2: Wisconsin, USA

‘Wisconsin?’ you ask, leaning forwards and glaring at your phone. ‘The Upper Midwestern state? Birthplace of Willem Dafoe and Oprah Winfrey? That’s a bit…random, isn’t it, Detour writers?’

Well, save your scepticism, reader. We love an under-appreciated destination here at JFC. And for a safe, relaxed base for your next big family adventure, with a ridiculous number of outdoorsy activities for you and your kids, we think Wisconsin actually has it all - it's the perfect second leg of a trip that starts in NYC or DC.

Top tips

Wisconsin’s state capital, Madison, has more public parks, playgrounds and skateboard rinks than any other US city. It’s young and LGBTQ+ friendly. It’s one of the few truly bike-friendly cities in the USA, with extensive cycling lanes and trails throughout. Many of the trails lead directly out into the wilderness for long hikes.

The magnificent local Great Lakes provide ample opportunities for outdoor fun all year around, from summer sailing and ziplining to winter ice hockey and skating. If you’re not feeling sporty, then trek out to one of the state’s magnificent national parks set along the lakeshore - there’s plenty of Instagrammable opportunities like the Ice Caves of the Apostle Islands or the Witches’ Gulch.

You could check out the water-parks of Wisconsin Dells (which boldly claims to be ‘water park capital of the world’ but which is, honestly, showing its age a bit at this point).

If you care to brave the weather, you could visit Schoolhouse Beach - a place so pretty that you’re not allowed to take its pebbles home with you.

And finally, as our friends at Atlas Obscura have noted, Wisconsin has a higher-than-average number of what we can only describe as ‘really weird stuff’ to get your teen laughing. Want to meet a terrifying monster called ‘the Hodag’? Want to check out the architecturally bizarre museum known as the House on the Rock (which plays a starring role in Neil Gaiman's American Gods)? Eat your heart out.

If all that fresh air is proving too much, you can drift south and eastwards to the breweries and motorcycle museums of Milwaukee.

Time it right and you’ll arrive in time for Summerfest, the world’s ‘largest music festival’. This year’s line-up in June-July 2022 features Halsey, Justin Bieber, and…maybe not so much one for the teens, this…Rod Stewart.

From there it’s a short (well, short-ish - this is the US we’re talking about) hop across the state border to Chicago, which helpfully has a ton of its own activities for teens, from escape rooms to the summer Taste of Chicago - the world’s biggest foodie fest.

Honourable mentions:

• Iceland - Safe, welcoming, and offering everything from the Northern Lights to laser tag
• Vietnam - From Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City, Responsible Travel has some great tips to keep your teens entertained
• The Amalfi Coast - A stunner, pure and simple! Epic hikes, cool hotels and Mediterranean fun.

Share Your Travel Stories

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• A funny, exciting or scary experience that happened to you once when travelling.
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Our Pick of the Clicks

All the important (or silly, or strange) travel news from across the web this week.

• Work has begun in Paris upon an 180-metre high glass skyscraper which has been described as “environmentally catastrophic.”
• The Underwater Photographer Of The Year winners have been announced - from beautiful shots of cuddly whale sharks to…slightly less cuddly regular sharks.
• We’re pretty sure there was a whole movie about this already? An AirAsia flight from Malaysia has been redirected after the discovery of a snake on the plane.
• Meet the English couple who sold their home back in 2017 - and have spent their lives cunningly house-sitting across the world ever since. Ahh, bliss.
• And here’s something nice from the BBC: the story of how travel abroad helped one woman to overcome her anxiety in the era of COVID.

Far-Flung Phantoms of the Philippines

What are the spookiest, ookiest urban legends from around the world? When should you be looking over your shoulder for spectral figures when you’re travelling?

In today’s guest post, Marnae from the JFC team gives her steer on the creepiest folklore in countries across the globe…

A friend of mine was in the northeast Philippines when he heard whispers about the White Lady.

In some areas they call ghosts like her the Tagalog term, Kaperosa. Where he was, in Cagayan, they said “White Lady” in English.

My friend brushed her off as a local legend. That is, until he saw her himself.

It was a warm, sticky evening, and he was cycling with a friend through a rural neighborhood, carved out of the jungle.

His buddy rounded a corner up ahead of him. While my friend was trying to catch up, he caught a glimpse of a glowing figure with long hair in a white dress.

He did a double take, but when he turned back, she had disappeared. Needless to say, he pedaled a bit faster after that.

The most famous Filipino White Lady is the White Lady of Balete Drive in Quezon City near Manila. They say she’s the ghost of a woman who died in a car accident on the road.

And by “they,” I mostly mean taxi drivers, who tend to be the ones who spot her at night. Some have reported picking her up and looking back to see a bloody, bruised face that scared them out of their taxi.

Others only see her on the road in a rearview mirror, but the shock of spotting her has caused multiple accidents. Yikes!

Read more about creepy cryptids and urban legends - including vanishing hitch-hikers, ghost kitties, and Bigfoot - over on the JFC website.

A very happy 190th birthday to Jonathan, the ancient Seychelles giant tortoise who even at his advanced age continues to enjoy his favorite pastimes: “sunbathing, sleeping, eating, and mating.”

Thanks for reading!